Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Cold front 17 continues to ensure chilly days and cold nights for a majority of Quintana Roo. On Monday night, Riviera Maya residents were warned of an extreme dip to 13C (55F).
The town of Coba, which lies northwest of Akumal, recorded 13C Monday night due to the lingering U.S. cold front. Surrounding areas, including the seaside towns of Akumal and Tulum, were only slightly better recording a nighttime temperature of 15C.
Strong wind gusts also associated with the cold air had ports open and closing throughout the day. Wind gusts up to 60 kms/h and sea swells of 1 to 3 meters were reported around Quintana Roo’s coastal areas. Three back-to-back cold fronts have kept many local smaller boats docked due to the strong winds.
Francisco Fernández, President of the Cancún Nautical Association, says their smaller vessels have been docked for more than a week due to the winds. Local tourist service providers are suffering due to the ongoing closures.
He says everything from jet boat parachutes, tours to Isla Mujeres and charter fishing has been lost to vessels under 40 feet. “More than a week of operations has been lost,” he reported.
Last week, a boat overturned off the island of Cozumel that left two people dead. The small craft was at sea when cold front 16 began to enter the region creating strong gusts that overturned the boat.
On Monday, cold front 17, which arrived late Saturday, left at least two boats damaged. One small boat off Puerto Morelos sunk due to lapping waves Sunday. A large sailboat was photographed grounded Monday off the island of Cozumel after breaking free of its moorings due to the ongoing winds.
On Monday, five people were pulled from Isla Mujeres waters by marina sailors after being unable to fight the rough waves. All five were rescued from the churning water in separate incidences throughout the day.
According to the Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN), the cold air will stick around for another day or so along with the strong winds and rough seas. Daytime temperatures along the Quintana Roo coast will continue to hover around 25C (77F) until the U.S. cold air moves off.
